Dead and Gone by Sherryl Clark @sherrylwriter @verve_books #blogtour #bookreview

Yes it’s double post Friday everyone!!! Did you feel the heat yesterday? It was just what I imagine it to be in Australia in the height of their summer.. which is excellent timing as that’s where we’re heading today!

A big thank you to Clare Quinlivan of Verve Books for inviting me on the blog tour and for my advanced e-copy of Dead And Gone.

The Blurb

There’s nothing more dangerous than revenge.

Judi Westerholme has been through it. Brave and strong-willed, she’s just about coping in her new role as foster parent to her orphaned niece, taking a job at the local pub to help make ends meet. Then the pub’s landlord and Judi’s friend, army veteran Pete ‘Macca’ Maccasfield, is murdered, and her world is suddenly turned upside down.

Despite warnings from the city police to keep out of it, Judi can’t help but get involved in the search for Macca’s killer. But she soon becomes deeply entangled with some ruthlessly dangerous men. She must act fast and think smart to work out what they want – before anyone else gets hurt…

Long buried secrets resurface in Sherryl Clark’s pacy crime novel that pushes Judi Westerholme to her limits to protect the people she loves most.

What Did I Think?

After the total whirlwind life change she had following her brother’s death, Judi Westerholme is trying find her groove now she has a toddler to look after as well as a fledgling long distance romance and sorting out the books at the local public house. But one night changes that and oh what a pickle Judi has found herself in again.

The unexpected suspicious death of anyone can open a can of worms but the can of worms Macca leaves just seems to be like Mary Poppins’ carpet bag. It’s that unwanted Christmas gift that keeps on giving. Judi can’t resist but do her own bit of investigation after what happened with her brother and as she talks to the locals, the more she finds out and the further she falls in to that carpet bag.

I’ll admit, I normally stick to murder mystery/crime thrillers that are UK based purely as I can visualise the locale and the British mannerism even if I’ve never been to an area. But… I rather like my trips to Australia with Sherryl Clark. I thoroughly enjoyed Trust Me, I’m Dead which can be totally read as a standalone. So to get a follow up with this unassuming amateur detective was a real treat!

Dead And Gone kept me guessing throughout. Despite the number of crime novels I’ve read (not as many as some but still a fair amount) I would never have predicted the ending in a million years. If there is more from Judi and Heath, count me in!!

Who Is Sherryl Clark?

Sherryl Clark has had 40 children’s and YA books published in Australia, and several in the US and UK, plus collections of poetry and four verse novels. She has taught writing at Holmesglen TAFE and Victoria University. She recently completed a Master of Fine Arts program at Hamline University, Minnesota, and is now studying for a PhD in creative writing. Sherryl’s debut novel, Trust Me, I’m Dead, was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger. It is the first novel in the Judi Westerholme series, followed by Dead And Gone.